Hemelvaart van Christus c. 1645 - 1740

Editor: We're looking at "Ascension of Christ," an engraving by Christoffel van Sichem II, created sometime between 1645 and 1740. What strikes me most is how theatrical it feels – Christ rising amidst swirling clouds, a crowd gazing upwards. How do you interpret the scene? Curator: Theatrics, yes! A Baroque stage play unfolding before our eyes. I see the artist wrestling with how to visualize the intangible. Consider the period: a time of immense faith and emerging scientific inquiry. Van Sichem straddles that line. He's trying to give form to a profound religious mystery. Do you notice the faces of those looking up? Editor: They're a mix of awe and, well, confusion, almost like they can’t quite believe what they're seeing. It is fascinating to see Christ so, *physically*, leaving the Earth in that way, which to my mind underlines how they might not fully grasp what's happening! Curator: Precisely! Van Sichem's choosing a very human lens. It makes me wonder – did he genuinely believe in this literal ascension, or was he more interested in capturing the emotional impact of faith itself? The textures, you see, lead me to believe the latter... Editor: So it's not necessarily about documenting a historical event, but capturing a feeling, a spiritual state? I hadn’t considered that. Curator: It’s about opening a door to something beyond our understanding. Like faith. A stage of life. Now, I understand it slightly better.